The present invention relates to a cylinder head sealing device for an internal combustion engine in which a gasket is arranged between the cylinder head and the cylinder liner and the gasket is surrounded by an auxiliary areal seal which is prestressed by fastening the cylinder head with cylinder screws between the cylinder head and a flange of the cylinder liner.
Cylinder head gaskets are commonly comprised of a relatively soft material and are inserted between the cylinder or the cylinder liner on the one hand and the cylinder head on the other hand. They are clamped therebetween by cylinder head screws until a plastic deformation of the cylinder head gasket occurs and the material of the gasket conforms to the uneven surface of the cylinder head thereby producing a gas-tight connection. However, due to non-uniform fastening of the cylinder head screws and plastic flow of the gasket material such sealing devices often lose their sealing effect. Furthermore, it is required that the cylinder head screws are tightened so strongly that undesired deformations within the cylinder head, respectively, within the cylinder block occur.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cylinder head sealing device of the aforementioned kind which is able to provide a reliable long-term uniform sealing effect without requiring high prestress of the cylinder head screws even under very high inner cylinder pressures.